Wrench.



w. L. BROOKINS.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1915.

1,181,369. Patented May2, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed August 26, 1915. Serial No. 47,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BROOK- INS, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches, particularly in wrenches which may be employed either as monkey wrenches or pipe wrenches, the primary object of my invention being the provision of a wrench in which movement of the handle to operate the wrench will cause automatic tightening of the jaws about the work being operated upon, irrespective of which direction the handle is swung, the jaws being immediately loosened upon releasing the handle from strain.

A still further object of my invention consists in the provision of a wrench of the above described character having a sliding adjustable j aw and a swinging jaw movable toward and away from the sliding jaw by movement of the handle under strain.

A still further object of my invention consists in so constructing it that it may be formed without castings of any nature, the jaws and handle being forged and the frame or yoke being pressed from heavy sheet iron or steel.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved wrench; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in section, showing the movement of the swinging jaw when the handle is swung in a clockwise direction; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the movement of the swinging jaw when the handle is swung in a counterclockwise direction. v

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in the. drawings, includes an adjustable sliding jaw 10, a pivoted swinging jaw 11, a handle 12, and a yoke 13 operatively connecting the j aws and handle. More specifically, the jaw 10 is formed with a shank 14:, substantially rectangular in cross section and formed at its front and rear edges with interrupted screw threads 15 for engagement with the internal threads of an adjusting nut 16, the outer face of which is preferably knurled. This aw is slidably mounted through the bight portion of the yoke 13, which is substantially U-shaped in cross section, being pressed from heavy sheet metal, such as iron or steel in such a manner as to form an intermediate portion 17 and spaced parallel side portions 18 and 19. The side portions 18 and 19 are formed with alined openings 20 to receive the adjusting nut 16 and the intermediate portion is outstruck, as shown at 21, for the same purpose. It will, therefore, be seen that by passing the adjusting nut 16 through one of the slots 20 to bring its bore in alinement with the space between the sides of the yoke and by passing the shank of the jaw 10 between such sides and through the nut, the jaw and nut are both secured to the yoke in such a manner that the jaw may be moved toward and away from the outer end of the yoke.

The swinging jaw 11 is formed with a shank portion 22 which projects between the sides of the yoke near their free ends, being perforated adjacent the jaw to receive a pivot 23 passed through the sides of the yoke. This pivot may be in the form of a bolt and nut, as shown in the drawings, or in the form of a rivet or pin, as preferred. The sides of the yoke, at their lower ends, are extended, as shown at 24, and connected by a rivet 25 or other suitable means, such connection preferably passing through a spacer sleeve 26 in order that the side portions of the yoke may not be drawn so tightly together as to interfere with the free movement of the shank 22 of the pivoted jaw 11. A leaf spring 27 is secured at one end to the intermediate portion of the outer face of the shank 22 and its opposite end curves outwardly from the shank to engage the inner face of the spacer sleeve 26 and to, consequently, normally hold the free end of the shank 22 in its innermost position with respect to the adjacent end of the shank 1 1.

The handle 12 is secured between the sides of the yoke 13 by a pivot 28 which may be a rivet or a bolt and nut, the latter being the case shown in the drawings and the pivoted end of the handle projects be tween the free ends of the shanks 1 1 and 22 of the jaws.

The inner face of the shank 22 is notched or cut-away to provide a shoulder 29 and the inner end of the handle 12 in alinement with its pivot point is provided with a reduced extension or nose 30 seating in the notched or cut-away portion of the shank and engageable with the shoulder 29 when the handle is swung in a clockwise direction to swing the shank about its pivot 23 and so move the outer or free end of the jaw 11 toward the adjacent end of-the jaw 10. Furthermore, the handle is provided with a cam shoulder or rib 31 upon its forward face, which engages against the rounded free end of the shank 22 in such a manner that when the handle is swung in a counterclockwise direction, the free end of the shank 22 will be forced to ride upon the shoulder 31 and the shank will, therefore, be swung in the same manner to bring the free end of the jaw 11 toward the jaw 10. It will, therefore, be clear that when strain is exerted upon the handle to swing it in either direction, assuming that the jaws are loosely engaged about a nut or other object, the swinging jaw will be moved toward the sliding jaw to tightly grasp the nut. At the same time, as soon as strain is removed from the handle, the spring 27 will act to swing the jaw 11 to normal position. It will, therefore, be clear that the sliding jaw 10 need be adjusted by the nut 16 only to such an extent as to bring the jaws 10 and 11 into loose ongagement with the article to which the wrench is being applied, and that the mere operation of using the wrench, irrespective of the direction in which its handle is swung, will serve to tighten the jaws about such article. As shown in the drawings, the work engaging faces of both jaws are provided with substantially V-shaped teeth in order that the wrench may be employed as a pipe wrench and these teeth are, of course, so formed that they will only engage the pipe to tightly grip it when the wrench is turned in one direction. For this reason, there will be no undesired swinging of the jaw 11 into engagement with the pipe during the back stroke of the wrench.

Although I have illustrated and described my invention in all its details of construction, it will of course be understood that I do not wish to be limited to such details, as various minor changes, within the scope of the appended claims,

may be made at any time, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A wrench including a yoke, a slidable jaw adjustably mounted in the yoke, a second jaw pivoted in the yoke to swing toward and away from thefirst jaw, means normally holding it away from the first jaw, and a handle pivoted. in the yoke and operable, when swung in either direction, to swing the pivoted jaw toward the first aw.

2. A wrench including a yoke, a sliding jaw having a shank threaded through a nut in the yoke, a pivoted jaw having a shank swingingly mounted between the sides of the yoke, a handle pivoted at one end in the yoke and engaging the shank of the pivoted jaw at either side of the pivot of the handle, whereby swinging of the handle in either direction will cause the pivoted jaw to swing toward the first jaw, and means normally holding the pivoted jaw away from the first jaw.

3. A wrench including a yoke-having its sides slotted to receive an adjusting nut, a jaw having a threaded shank passing through the yoke and nut, a second jaw having a shank extending between the sides of the yoke and pivoted to the yoke adjacent the second jaw, a handle having one end projecting between the sides of the yoke and pivoted thereto, the handle extending beyond its pivot within the yoke and terminating in a nose engaging a shoulder formed in the shank of the second jaw, a shoulder formed on the handle at a point between its point of pivotal mounting and outer end and engaging the free end of the shank of the second jaw, and means at all times holding the shank of the second jaw in engagement with some portion of the handle.

l. A wrench including a yoke, a slidable jaw adjustably mounted in the yoke, a second jaw pivoted in the yoke to swing toward and away from the first jaw, and a handle pivoted in the yoke and operable, when swung in either direction, to swing the pivoted jaw toward the first jaw.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

l/VILLIAM L. BROOKINS. [1,. s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

